We know it's Bill Smead because he's wearing the obnoxiously, obvious red cap. Bill begs not to be pushed over the line since he'll lose his mind just like the pharmacist (Sneezy).

Bill has about 150 lbs on Mr. Gold, plus Mr. Gold uses a cane to walk. Can't he just punch him of something?

Mr. Gold whacks him in the knee with his fighting stick (the cane). He takes the obnoxiously obvious red cap and sprinkles it with magic liquid. Bill tells Mr. Gold the hat is special because his grandmother made it for him.

Mary Margaret gives the eulogy for Dr. Hopper—who is actually bound and gagged in Hook's ship. The Dalmatian wines.

I thought dogs were super smart when it comes to fake bodies in your master's coffin.

Hook interrogates Dr. Hopper about Rumpelstiltskin's greatest weakness. This is a cue for the next scene.

Belle enters Mr. Gold's shop where he's waiting to give her some exciting news. He explains to her— and us—that by sprinkling the liquid on an object you hold most dear, it becomes a talisman that allows you to cross the town lines while still keeping your memory. He's ready to go looking for his son, Bellfire.

That's going to be confusing isn't it? Belle and Bellfire?

He opens a safe and shows Belle, Bellfire's (see it's already confusing) shawl. It's the last thing he has of his son.

Wow! I hope Hook doesn't find out about this.

Mr. Gold tells Belle that he only has enough potion for one object.

Wow! I hope it doesn't get wasted. Geez, there is so much to chance.

Belle enjoys a pint of grog at the local Ale House. The townsfolk are in a tizzy about a dangerous beast they're hoping to round up and kill. Grumpy, who is still Dreamy at this point, tells Belle he's super excited to be secretly eloping with his true love, Nova the clumsy fairy.

Where is Nova, anyway?

Dreamy thinks it would be giggles and fun times if Belle joined the hunters to take down the beast. Belle looks pained and explains that she prefers books—besides she already hooked up with a Beast and it didn't end so well.

But he convinces her because his positive attitude is contagious. Before Belle leaves on her super fun adventure, Dreamy gives her a sack of fairy dust. She's hesitant since magic turned Rumpelstiltskin all crazy and mean. Dreamy insists she take it because good magic is different than dark magic.

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Belle struts down Main Street and opens Storybrooke's library by pulling on the door and walking in. Hook startles her. She tells him the library isn't opened yet. And by closed she means the door isn't locked.Don't think about the absurdity too much, just accept it and move on.

When Hook steps out of the shadows, she recognizes him from when he visited her cell in the Queen's castle. He explains that he's after Rumpelstiltskin, but her death will do nicely as well.

Belle manages to easily turn over a bookcase, making it crash on top of Hook. She enters the wacky elevator that leads to the dungeon, where the dragon is rotting from when Emma killed it last season.

I bet it smells bad.

She calls Mr. Gold, but the reception is so bad he has no clue that she's being attacked by a one handed pirate.

Belle studies a book while the hunters tease her about reading and letters and stuff. In fact, she happens to be reading about the very beast they're hunting. She also happens to be wearing a low cut tunic. She tells them to go to the lake, and then the hunters kick her off the waggon.

Right. 'Cause men HATE having a good looking chick with her boobs popping out of her shirt.

But getting kicked off is part of Belle's plan—the beast actually lives in the mountains. And it takes her two minutes to find it's lair. Armed with a book, a dagger, and about three feet of cleavage, Belle enters the beasts cave.

She steps on a stick, the silly goose. The fiery beast comes out! It's so ferocious it roars at Belle, and then runs away. Mulan shows up all pissy because Belle's loud stick spooked the beast just as she was aiming her arrow to kill. It took her a month to track it down, damnit!

Mulan doesn't like Belle, her book, or her cleavage. She stomps away in a huff.

Mr. Gold rescues Belle and listens with gritted teeth while she tells him about Hook.

As everyone snacks on egg salad sandwiches at Mary Margaret's apartment, Henry is totally bummed about his adoptive mom killing Dr Hopper. Grumpy brings up the topic of returning to the enchanted forest. And what would happen if someone from the real world decided to pay a visit?

*cough* foreshadowing *cough*

Belle tries to convince Mr. Gold not to kill Hook. Mr. Gold explains how his wife, Mila ran away with Hook, breaking his heart, and Bellfire's.

Of course he left out the part about him ripping her heart out.

Pfft. Details. Who needs them?

Mr. Gold finds his shop has been ransacked. The safe is empty. Hook watches from a roof top as Bill Smead hands over Bellfire's shawl. Now Mr. Gold is trapped in Storybrooke.

Belle wants to exert her independence and help Mr. Gold hunt down Hook. Instead, Mr. Gold convinces her to wait it out in the library...with a gun.

Overdue charges has a whole new meaning.

Belle is bullied at a local waterhole by the hunters she tricked.

Mulan shows up and pulls a Princess Xena, knocking out most of the men and scattering the rest. She gets a flesh wound, but shrugs it off. Mulan wants to find the beast and she knows Belle's book will lead the way quickly. “You track it, and I'll kill it,” she tells Belle.

Let's order pizza for supper instead.

Belle cleans up the library and finds a knotted bit of rope. She flips through a nautical text and finds the same knot.

Books are the answer!

She keenly deduces that Hook came to Storybrooke on his ship.

Sure...or a million other possibilities.

Bill Smead is packed for a trip out of Storybrooke when he's confronted by Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold does the Darth Vader invisible choking grip as Bill confesses that he gave the shawl to Hook. Mr. Gold changes him into a rat.

Scabbers!

Fifty points for Gryffindor!

Belle stands on the wharf looking for a pirate ship. Seagulls perch in mind air. She takes a few steps and breaks through the invisibility shield.

Hey, where's Cora during all of this?

Belle finds Dr. Hopper! It was so convenient how his gag had slipped down so he could scream. Belle tells him to run and give the latest to Mr. Gold while she stays on the ship—there may be some books on board.

Poor Henry is still sad. Emma bursts into Mary Margaret's kitchen with the Dalmatian who still hasn't lead anyone to the ship yet.

Henry is instantly cured of his sadness. Mary Margaret applauds Emma's motherly instincts, but suggests they start to look for a bigger house. She'd like some private sexy time with David, and that's hard if there are no walls.

Belle is caught snooping by Hook. He holds Bellfire's shawl, and snatches away her gun.

How does he even know how to work a handgun?

Belle and Mulan move through the night forest. Belle's book of answers has led them to the beast's latest site of carnage (although the trail of fire was a hint as well). Mulan's wound is making her weak. Belle has to be the one to kill the beast.

Belle stands up to Hook and engages him in a conversation. Hook gets all sentimental over the shawl since Mila had made it. When Belle refuses to budge on her opinion of Mr. Gold, he tells her that Rumpelstiltskin killed Mila by ripping out her heart.

Wow! That will teach Mila a lesson.

Belle preaches that Mr. Gold has changed...blah, blah...and that his heart is true, no matter how many women he's killed, or people he's beaten or maimed.

Dear ABC,

You've sent the women's movement back by thirty years.

Belle uses a loose board to hit Hook, and she escapes with the shawl. But he's so sneaky, he manages to block her off on the deck. And guess what? Mr. Gold is there too, with his fighting stick.

Belle gets the attention of the fiery beast by yelling, “Over here.” Luckily the beast understands English. It follows her and gets caught in her booby trap. No, not that booby trap. I mean the big thing of water that spills over him.

The beast begins to melt! He scrawls calligraphy in the dirt. He's human!

*Closes eyes and prays, "Please be the huntsman.*

Belle takes out her sack of fairy dust and sprinkles it over the dying beast. Poof! Up stands a fully clad Prince...Prince Phillip!!!

He thanks Belle and says an evil witch cursed him to keep him from finding his true love, Aurora.

As Mr. Gold bludgeons Hook with his cane, Belle plays the 'there's good in you' card, and he finally stops. Leering into Hook's bloodied face, he tells him to leave Storybrooke forever.

Yeah, right. Like that's going to happen.

Again, where's Cora?

And where's the Mayor?

Henry tries to convince Emma that they should start stalk piling weapons in case the Mayor comes after them next. Before you can say, “Kill a loved one! Who do you think she is, Mr. Gold?” Dr. Hopper arrives to tell them the good news that he's alive, and that Cora was his kidnapper, not the Mayor.

Mr. Gold drives up with Belle to the town line. He tells her how much he appreciates her helping him. Belle does her usual, 'I'll never give up, you're worth fighting for. I believe in you...'

Belle introduces Prince Phillip to Mulan. She turns down their offer to make it a threesome (dirty minds) instead, she takes her book and says she needs to face another beast. But as she reaches the crest of the hill, the Evil Queen is waiting. And Belle is taken prisoner.

Belle wraps Bellfire's shawl around Mr. Gold. He crosses the town line and looks dazed for a moment. Then he turns and says her name.

Hooray! I hope he cleaned the blood off his cane for his big trip to the city.

Belle gives him a kiss and promises to be waiting for his return. There is a gun shot and Belle falls across the line into Mr. Gold's arms.

Hook stands behind them looking satisfied. Belle has lost her memory. Mr. Gold is frantic.

Suddenly, a car's headlights come out of the darkness. Mr. Gold pulls Belle off the road. Hook gets hit and the car spins out of control, coming to a stop against a rock.

2 comments:

*giggles* Love the commentary. I had to watch the episode before I read--I always watch it, but usually not until the next day. Yeah, the Belle losing her memory at the end should be a fabulous fiction twist. Wonder if Rumple is just going to get super mean and nasty without Belle to keep pulling him back... And MAN, Hook is hot.